Will ice cream or chilli cool you down?

• Spicy foods may paradoxically cool the body more effectively than cold foods by triggering sweating and evaporative heat loss, despite initial sensation of increased heat
• Cold foods provide only temporary relief and may actually reduce the body's natural cooling mechanisms through sweating
• During heatwaves, advising patients to consume spicy foods could be a more physiologically effective strategy than relying solely on cold foods for thermoregulation

Is it better to eat spicy or cold foods during a heatwave?

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